(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device management system in which a plurality of image forming devices, such as copiers, facsimiles, or printers, are linked through a communication device to a central service station, and each image forming device can automatically transmit a message to the central service station while the image forming devices can be remotely controlled by the central service station.
(2) Description of the Related Art
As disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. 8-116399, 6-329298 and 8-331355, there is known an image forming device management system in which a plurality of image forming devices are linked through a communication device to a central service station.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-116399 discloses a system in which a plurality of image forming devices connected to a communication control unit via a signal line, located on a user site, are linked to a central service station at a remote location through a communication network.
In the system of the above publication, when the signal line between the image forming device and the communication control unit is in a disconnected state, the central service station is unable to communicate with the image forming device. Hence, as the central service station is unable to detect whether the image forming device is in a disconnected state, it is difficult for the central service station to speedily provide a maintenance service for the image forming device during its disconnected state.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 6-329298 discloses an image forming device maintenance system in which, when a jam of an image forming device (or a copier) occurs, a determination as to whether the copier requires a maintenance service is made on the side of the copier based on its troubled condition. If it is determined that the maintenance service is required, the copier automatically transmits a service request to a central service station via a communication device. According to the system of the above publication, when the service request from the copier is received by the central service station, it is possible to have a serviceman speedily visit the user site and properly recover the troubled condition of the copier.
In the system of the above publication, every time the determination that the maintenance service of the copier is required is made, the service request is automatically transmitted from the copier to the central service station. For example, when a jam of the copier frequently occurs, the automatic service request transmission and receiving must be repeated many times by the system of the above publication. Hence, the system of the above publication is likely to be in a situation that the automatic service request transmission and receiving is performed too many times although it is not necessary.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-331355 discloses a method of automatically transmitting a maintenance service start message and a maintenance service end message from an image forming device on a user site to a central service station at a remote location when a maintenance service of the image forming device on the user site is initiated and terminated by a serviceman.
However, it is difficult for the method of the above publication to carry out an automatic message transmission of the image forming device in an appropriate situation during the maintenance operation of the image forming device by the serviceman.
In addition to the maintenance service start/end messages, there are other messages which should be automatically transmitted to the central service station even during the maintenance service of the image forming device (or the copier). For example, when a lack of replenishment parts, such as toner, occurs, it is desirable to automatically transmit a replenishment part supply request from the copier to the central service station even during the maintenance service of the copier. Further, there are further messages which should not be automatically transmitted to the central service station during the maintenance service of the copier. For example, when a certain error of the copier occurs after the start of the maintenance service of the copier, it is undesirable to automatically transit its error message from the copier to the central service station because the serviceman has already visited the user site. Hence, there is a demand for an image forming device maintenance system which starts an automatic message transmission only in an appropriate situation when a maintenance operation of the copier is performed by a serviceman.
Further, statistical data of the copier related to its troubled condition may be changed during a maintenance service by a serviceman, and it is necessary to reset the statistical data of the copier at the end of the maintenance service. If it is not reset, the copier may erroneously transmit an error message to the central service station, because of the changed data, after the maintenance service of the copier.
Further, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-276260, there is known a facsimile management system in which a facsimile is linked to a central service station (or a communication terminal), and the central service station can write information to or read information from operating parameters retained in an internal memory of the facsimile. When accessing the internal memory of the facsimile, it is necessary to designate an absolute address of the internal memory at which an operating parameter is retained.
Similar to the facsimile management system of the above type, there is known an image forming device management system in which a plurality of image forming devices, such as copiers, connected to a communication device on a user site, such as a customer office, are linked through a public switched network to a central service station at a remote location, such as a sales or service location.
The above-described image forming device management system is intended to efficiently and speedily provide a service for the image forming devices by carrying out (1) a communication control of the central service station to the image forming devices, (2) a communication control of each of the image forming devices to the central service station, and (3) a control of the communication device by itself.
Further, there is known an image forming device management system having a block billing function. The block billing function is provided for the image forming device management system to establish a charge for a predetermined number of copy sheets as a contract for use of an image forming device.
However, it is difficult for the above-dscribed image forming device management to provide an efficient operation of the block billing function or a precise management of the image forming devices. It is difficult to provide an easy-to-use image forming device management system for the user.
For example, there are various kinds of image forming devices which are connected to an image forming device management system having a block billing function. An address of the memory of each of the image forming devices for retaining an operating parameter is different from one another if the image forming devices are of different models or of different versions.
In the image forming device management system, such as that of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-276260 mentioned above, it is necessary to designate an absolute address of the memory of one image forming device (at which an operating parameter is retained) when accessing the memory of the image forming device. However, if the image forming devices connected to the system are of different kinds, then it is necessary to deal with individual absolute addresses of the memory for each of different kinds of image forming devices. In this case, the management method for such image forming devices will be considerably complicated. This makes it difficult to take actions to upgrade the image forming device management system.
Further, there is known an image forming device management system in which a maintenance service start message and a maintenance service end message are transmitted from an image forming device to a central service station when a message transmit operation is manually performed by a serviceman at the start and the end of the maintenance service of the image forming device. In the above-described system, the message transmission control is carried out when a service program, stored in the image forming device, is executed.
However, if the serviceman fails to perform the message transmit operation, the central service station does not receive the maintenance service start/end messages. In such a case, the central service station does not recognize a time the maintenance service of the image forming device is initiated or terminated by the serviceman. Hence, it is likely that the above-described system cannot provide a precise management of the image forming devices.